Georgian activists form chain along border with Azerbaijan near historic monastery

Participants of the rally protested against the fact that Azerbaijani border guards temporarily closed access to one of the monasteries of the complex

Photo: Facebook, Lasha berulava

Several activists staged a protest on May 5 at the historic David Gareji monastery complex, lining up in a live chain along the ridge by the Georgian-Azerbaijani border runs and singing the hymn of Georgia.

David Gareji is a unique cave city that stretches 25 kilometers long, including 21 monasteries and5,000 cells.

The most ancient of them go back to the sixth century. Some monasteries are very small cells, many of them have frescoes from the 8th-14 centuries – the main monastery of the complex is St. David’s Lavra.

The Georgian-Azerbaijani border passes right through David Gareji. Most of the complex, including the monastery of Udabno, is located on the southwestern slope of the mountain on the territory controlled by Azerbaijan.

David Gareji has long been the subject of discussion between the two countries, since the border in this region is not divided. A bilateral Georgian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border was created in 1996, but since then the process has not progressed at all.

The purpose of the demonstration was to express Georgia’s claim to the David Gareji monastery complex, and that hindering the movement of people in this territory contradicts the good-neighborly relations that have developed between the two countries, participants told InterpressNews.

The purpose of the demonstration was to express Georgia’s claim to the David Gareji monastery complex, and that hindering the movement of people in this territory contradicts the good-neighborly relations that have developed between the two countries, participants told InterpressNews.

Photo: Facebook

“Naturally, we do not want war or tension, however we will firmly, peacefully and calmly protect our land, our historical heritage, which we have no right to give to anyone,” a participant of the rally told Rustavi 2, founder of the Anti-Occupation Movement, David Katsarava.

Azerbaijani border guards reopened access to the monastery of Udabno on April 26, after it had been closed for three before.

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